Um, what? It's past 2:30 am. This was written for half an hour. Sorry for everything.

Set in 3x12, kinda.

No beta, all mistakes are mine [and there are probably a lot of these given the time it is now].

I don't own Once Upon a Time. Sadly Adam and Eddy do. These guys don't appreciate what they have.

When she first opens the door and sees the person in front of her, Emma has this odd feeling in her gut. Like she's really been waiting for someone but this man with scruffy beard and ridiculous leather pants that outline his junk a little too well (ew, Emma, why do you even) is not that someone. His icy blue eyes darken right before he kisses her, a shade of something lost, and his features soften but not enough and suddenly his lips are on hers and fear bubbles up inside her and mutes everything else.

.

When he whisks the small blue bottle in front of her face, she gets another… what, exactly? A premonition? A memory of a dream? She doesn't know him but there's something familiar – not in his face, but in his meaning. Somebody once begged her to believe in them, like he's doing now, and she did.

It was a dream probably. She never believes in anyone.

.

David opens the door and just gapes at her. She practically throws herself in his arms.

.

"Hook saved my life," She remembers her father's proud smile.

"You've got a chance to start again with Neal," Her mother chants in her head.

There's something off but she can't quite put her finger on it.

Snow White comes back for her (of course she does) and makes her put her heart back in her chest. Regina lets exaggerated huffs and rolls her eyes a couple of times but she'd secretly wished that someone would do that. Not pick the pieces but at least tell her it's okay to be broken.

.

The blond man outstretches his arm towards her, a kind smile on his face. She snorts disdainfully and stands up without his help. She doesn't need a savior.

Not when she's bound to lose him.

.

He's living in Storybrooke now. He's actually the Sheriff. This is getting too old. First Graham, then Emma.

This is how it's supposed to go, she guesses. Hate the Sheriff. Fall for the Sheriff. Lose the Sheriff.

Though with Robin she's still on phase 1.

.

Tinkerbell smiles in her mind and lightly urges her to go inside. And Regina wants to, really.

But love is something difficult to get used to. And True Love is a little too much. The only thing she sees before she runs away like the cowardly Majesty that she is, is the lion tattoo.

.

It's a unusually lovely day in Storybrooke, Maine, and townsfolk take advantage of that. She's wearing a short-sleeved dress.

She walks past the Sheriff who's just exiting Granny's diner, a cup of coffee in his hand, and she sees the tattoo.

And she feels sick to her stomach because love is not supposed to be a burden but it sure feels like it.

It takes a lot more effort for Emma to push the doorbell even though she doesn't know why. Her heart is beating erratically, her stomach's twisting uncomfortably and she has to wipe her sweaty palms in her jeans a couple of times.

She hears the clatter of high heels on perfectly polished floor and almost faints when the door opens.

Regina just stays there, looking at her, through her. Like she's not even acknowledging what's going on.

Emma knows she has to start the conversation, to offer an explanation, something. But the only thing that escapes her lips is:

"Hi."

The simple word pulls the brunette out of her trance. Her eyes fill with inexplicable rage and before Emma can even make sense to what's going on, she receives a resonant slap on her cheek.

Her world spins around for a moment and when she turns her head at Regina again, the shorter woman is trembling. No, she's not trembling, it's more like uncontrollable shaking, maybe from wrath, maybe from helplessness, or both, but her whole body's shaking, her fists, her lips.

"Regina…" Emma mutters hoarsely, not sure what else to say.

"How could you do this to me?!" The brunette hisses maliciously, taking a step towards her, and it would be intimidating if Regina didn't look so wrecked.

Emma gulps heavily, mainly because she's not entirely sure what exactly she's done. Probably the other woman's having a mental breakdown or something.

"I-" She starts again but Regina jabs a finger in her chest and makes her shut her mouth.

"I finally did something right!" She continues with an unstable voice. Emma's almost sure she's lost her mind. "I did what I was meant to do. Then you had to come back and ruin everything!" Her small fists hit the blonde's shoulders and it doesn't hurt, not physically anyway.

"I thought that was what I was supposed to do." Emma offers quietly. "After all I'm the Savior-"

"No!" Regina yells this time. Then pushes her. Emma makes a step backwards just to give her the satisfaction. "No." She repeats more lowly but just as furiously. "I'm tired of you! I'm tired of you being the stupid Savior!"

Emma blinks puzzled because she's seriously not following. That Regina is tired of her, she's heard many times before. But precisely because Emma's the Savior, the former Queen had been able to redeem herself.

"I'm tired of needing you to save me." The brunette whispers now, more to herself than Emma. And she seems so small, so vulnerable that Emma risks being rejected, maybe even fireball-ed, and takes the other woman's loosely clenched fists in her hands.

"Regina." She says slowly. "What has happened to you?"

Regina raises her head, brown eyes staring in Emma's soul. She remembers Hook at her doorstep some days ago and the uneasy gut feeling returns full force.

"I found my True Love." The brunette announces with a sing-song voice, bordering on hysteria.

Emma's blood freezes in her veins.

"I found my True Love," Regina adds, eyes looking through Emma once again. It's almost like she's hypnotized. "And it's supposed to be perfect, you know? He's blond, he has these luscious bright locks, like a prince's hair. And he's tall and muscular and brave. And he used to be a thief and he has a son, a little son. And he's Sheriff now. Haven't you met him yet? He stands out in the crowd."

They stand exactly face to face now, green irises burning brown ones. Emma is gripping Regina's wrists so tightly her knuckles whiten.

"Look what you're doing to me, Savior," Regina murmurs in a trance-like state, tip-toeing on her own sanity. "Making me seek you everytime I look at him."

Emma's eyes roam over Regina's face, devouring her, trying to comprehend and failing miserably.

"You see me in the pirate's eyes." The brunette smiles at her wickedly. "Don't you?"

Emma nods, on reflex more than anything else.

"It's not supposed to go this way, is it?" She almost mouths, her voice barely audible.

Regina's smile turns into a all-teeth grin.

"No," is all she replies with before their lips meet halfway in a violent kiss.

Padre, forgive me for what I've sinned.